used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He knew that the least movement would provoke an attack on the part of the deadly reptile.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
From this reading He knew that the least movement would provoke an attack on the part of the deadly reptile.
a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways
From this reading He might have been a statue, so rigid was his attitude.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
the act of overcoming or outdoing
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He might have been a statue, so rigid was his attitude.
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
breatheverbUS /briːð/
draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs
From this reading He did not dare to move and scarcely to breathe.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
chilledverbUS /tʃɪld/
past form of “chill” — depress or discourage
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading He did not dare to move and scarcely to breathe.
causing or capable of causing death
From this reading He knew that the least movement would provoke an attack on the part of the deadly reptile.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He did not dare to move and scarcely to breathe.
a movement into or inward
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
glidingnounUS /ˈɡlaɪdɪŋ/
the activity of flying a glider
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He might have been a statue, so rigid was his attitude.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He did not dare to move and scarcely to breathe.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
intense and profound fear
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
Joe's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He knew that the least movement would provoke an attack on the part of the deadly reptile.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading He knew that the least movement would provoke an attack on the part of the deadly reptile.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading He might have been a statue, so rigid was his attitude.
a particular point in time
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He did not dare to move and scarcely to breathe.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading He knew that the least movement would provoke an attack on the part of the deadly reptile.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He did not dare to move and scarcely to breathe.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He knew that the least movement would provoke an attack on the part of the deadly reptile.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading He knew that the least movement would provoke an attack on the part of the deadly reptile.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
provokeverbUS /prəˈvoʊk/
call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
From this reading He knew that the least movement would provoke an attack on the part of the deadly reptile.
PYRAMIDSnounUS /ˈpɪrəmɪdz/
plural of “pyramid” — a polyhedron having a polygonal base and triangular sides with a common vertex
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
reptilenounUS /ˈreptaɪl/
any cold-blooded vertebrate of the class Reptilia including tortoises, turtles, snakes, lizards, alligators, crocodiles, and extinct forms
From this reading He knew that the least movement would provoke an attack on the part of the deadly reptile.
rigidadjectiveUS /ˈrɪdʒəd/
incapable of or resistant to bending
From this reading He might have been a statue, so rigid was his attitude.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
only a very short time before
From this reading He did not dare to move and scarcely to breathe.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
snakenounUS /sneɪk/
limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading He might have been a statue, so rigid was his attitude.
statuenounUS /ˈstætʃuː/
a sculpture representing a human or animal
From this reading He might have been a statue, so rigid was his attitude.
come to a halt, stop moving
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He knew that the least movement would provoke an attack on the part of the deadly reptile.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
in or at that place or location
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He might have been a statue, so rigid was his attitude.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading On the other hand, if he kept perfectly quiet, there was the chance of the snake gliding away through the window, which had evidently been its means of entering the room.
in the company of; together with
From this reading IN THE SHADOW OF THE PYRAMIDS Joe's blood chilled with horror and his heart seemed for a moment to stop beating.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He knew that the least movement would provoke an attack on the part of the deadly reptile.
